Vail Valley Drive traffic to improve

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VAIL, Colorado - There could be an end in sight to the traffic problems on Vail Valley Drive, near Golden Peak, after a series of neighborhood meetings brought contributors of that traffic together to solve it.

The Vail Town Council learned last week that the town, Vail Resorts, Manor Vail Lodge and Ski Club Vail would implement some new strategies this winter to reduce traffic dangers through the Golden Peak area of Vail Valley Drive.

Councilwoman Susie Tjossem liked what she heard about the collaboration, but said she thought Ski Club Vail should be a larger part of fixing the problem. In a memo to the council dated Tuesday, each partner's commitments to reducing the hazards are listed, yet it's noted that Ski Club Vail would only experiment with running its driveway traffic in the opposite direction "if needed."

"The fact that the town of Vail, Vail Resorts and Manor Vail have all come up with some creative solutions, but yet Ski Club Vail has not come up with something. ... "I think it's past an 'if needed,'" Tjossem said.

Town Manager Stan Zemler told Tjossem he'd follow up on her concerns an get her some feedback.

The town of Vail is marking all pedestrian crosswalks along Vail Valley Drive with crosswalk signs, as well as advance warning signs on either ends of the neighborhood. The town will also take traffic counts during peak times to compare to previous counts in order to understand the current traffic concerns through that area.

The Vail Police Department will fill one more code enforcement officer position, budgeted for 2013, and the department will also have more coverage in the area on Saturdays throughout the ski season.

The town also adopted a town Transportation Ordinance earlier this month requiring private transportation service vehicles to be registered and governs where those vehicles can operate.

Vail Resorts has agreed to move 100 percent of its Vail Development Team (DEVO) program drop-off to the Vail Transportation Center to eliminate its part of the morning traffic to Golden Peak. Vail Resorts is also limiting its so-called premiere reservation parking at the lots in that area.

The Manor Vail Lodge will have two parking lot attendants this winter to help move traffic near its entryway when parking is available to the public.

As for Ski Club Vail, it would run its driveway traffic in the opposite direction "if needed," to lessen impacts to the Manor Vail entrance.

"Every other group is doing some kind of traffic mitigation," Tjossem said. "I just thought in the spirit of cooperation, it would be nice if they played, too."